MP and campaigners aim to get operations restarted at Leeds children's heart surgery

CAMPAIGNERS hope a ban on children's heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary will be lifted following yet another meeting between concerned parties today.

The Care Quality Commission, NHS England and representatives from the hospital will meet with campaigners today to discuss why surgery was halted last Thursday.

Both Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell and Councillor Peggy Elliott, chairman of North East Lincolnshire Council's health, housing and wellbeing scrutiny panel, hope it will result in the decision being overturned.

Mr Mitchell labelled the surgery suspension a "farce" after meeting with other concerned parties at Leeds Civic Centre on Tuesday.

He said the hospital was still unaware of details of many of the complaints that are alleged to have been made and led to the decision to halt surgery.

Referring to a suggestion of high mortality rates, Mr Mitchell said: "The people drawing up those figures have said they are not accurate.

"We hope that after today's meeting into the farce, and it is a farce, the cardiac unit can reopen."

Mr Mitchell said it looked like those who were involved in a review that was overturned by the High Court last week – meaning the Leeds unit was saved from closure – were "getting their own back".

He added: "MPs will be taking the matter up with the health scrutiny committee, asking how this mess came to be created and what was the role of Sir Bruce Keogh in initiating this closure."

Councillor Elliott is also asking her councillor colleagues to back a motion which will call on PM David Cameron to suspend NHS boss Sir Bruce at a special meeting at Grimsby Town Hall on Monday.

She said: "If the other councillors back the motion, a letter will be sent from North East Lincolnshire Council to Mr Cameron questioning Sir Bruce's role in this debacle and calling for him to be suspended.

"I think it's appalling that the High Court ruled in favour of keeping the Leeds unit open and then surgery was suspend based on false information.

"If standards were so poor and so many people were unhappy with the treatment their children received, then why hasn't it been raised before?

"I hope the unit will reopen for surgery after tomorrow's meeting, but I won't believe it until I see it.

"Even if it does, poorly children still haven't been able to receive treatment at Leeds for a week now, which I am very unhappy about."